Chapter 176 Chapter 176

Chapter 176 Chapter 176
Kai’s POV

Today, I deliberately came home during lunch break. I planned to pick Amelia up from her father's house. My mother had invited her to attend Kiara's child's birthday party.

However, when I arrived, Amelia wasn't there.
Mom said Amelia wasn't feeling well and had already been taken home by Ezra.

The moment I heard she was sick, I immediately headed home. Worry instantly filled my mind. Throughout the entire drive, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Was she okay?
Was she having trouble breathing again?
Had she eaten and taken her medicine?

But all that worry turned into irritation when I got home and couldn't find Amelia anywhere.
What made me even angrier was that she didn't return until two hours later.

On a motorcycle, with Ezra.
To be honest, I was jealous. Very jealous.
I didn't like seeing Amelia close to my younger brother.

Amelia and Ezra were almost the same kind of people. They could laugh together, understand each other without needing many explanations, and often shared the same way of thinking.

Amelia could laugh freely when she was with Ezra.
While with me, she only cried and got angry.

What irritated me the most was that today was actually our wedding anniversary. Yet she spent the day with Ezra.

I had wanted so badly to take her out for dinner.
Like a normal married couple.

Celebrating their wedding anniversary together, enjoying some quality time alone.
But after our argument earlier this afternoon, I abandoned that plan.

In the end, I decided to celebrate at home instead.
I bought a cake and Amelia's favorite steak for our dinner.

"What's wrong? Is it not good?" I asked when I noticed Arana keeping her head lowered.

"It's good," she replied in a hoarse voice.

She was crying.
Ah...
My chest tightened at the sight of her tears.

I let out a long breath before finally saying what I had been holding inside for years.

"While you were gone, every year on this date, I ate this steak alone."

A bitter smile appeared on my face as I remembered the four anniversaries I had spent without her.

Four years.
Four times sitting alone at the dining table.
Four times blowing out candles by myself.
Four times hoping the front door would open and Amelia would be standing there with her bright smile.

But it never happened.

"Hmm..." Amelia only hummed softly while tears continued streaming down her face.

My heart ached watching her cry.

I had hurt her with my selfishness and stupidity.
I regretted everything.
I regretted trusting the wrong person.
I regretted everything that had happened.

But there was one thing I never regretted—
our marriage.

Even if we had only experienced four months of happiness as husband and wife.

Those four months were still the best four months of my life.

"Don't cry." I gently stroked her head. "Happy anniversary, My Melia."

I lit the five small candles standing on top of the cake. Their tiny flames slowly illuminated Amelia's beautiful face.

"Happy Fifth Wedding Anniversary."

Amelia remained silent.
Her eyes were fixed on the cake I had bought a few hours ago after our argument.

"Let's stay together for four more months."
A faint smile tugged at my lips.

"Let's be happy together for the next four months."

Amelia raised her face. She looked deeply into my eyes. Her gaze was sorrowful, filled with sadness and disappointment.

"Okay," she answered softly. "Four more months."

I rose from my chair and pulled her into my arms. Her body felt so small in my embrace.

So fragile. And that made my chest hurt even more.
"I'm sorry." I closed my eyes. "Forgive me. Everything is my fault."

I let out a long breath, trying to ease the heaviness in my chest. "I caused all of this. My selfishness blinded me and hurt so many people."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered between sobs.

I shook my head gently. "No." I slowly rubbed her back. "I'm the one who's wrong, not you."

My tears might not have been visible, but the regret continued to eat away at me every single day.

"Please don't let yourself be hurt anymore." I kissed the top of her head. "And don't keep hatred in your heart."

I tightened my embrace. "After we separate, you have to be happy."

I closed my eyes, hiding all the pain filling my chest.
Let me carry it all alone.
Let me bear these wounds.
Let me be the one who is hated.

I was willing to accept it, as long as Amelia could live happily.

My jaw tightened as one name crossed my mind.
Tania. I would never forgive her.
Never. Ihad helped her. I had trusted her. And she repaid me with a poisonous betrayal that destroyed my life.

"Let go of the hatred in your heart. Let me carry everything instead," I whispered again.

Because I had already sent people to find Tania.
And I would make sure she paid for everything she had done.

Slowly, I loosened my embrace.
"There now," I said softly as I wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Stop crying."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"From now on, don't cry anymore. You're really ugly when you cry."

"Ck... What was that?" Amelia immediately hit my chest in annoyance.

I chuckled softly, feeling slightly relieved.
At least she wasn't crying anymore. At least she wasn't looking at me with hatred.

"Come on, blow out the candles." I sat down again and pushed the cake toward her.

"Happy Fifth Wedding Anniversary."

Amelia closed her eyes. Perhaps she was praying.
Perhaps she was making a wish. Or perhaps she was saying goodbye in her heart.

I didn't know. All I knew was that I couldn't stop looking at her. I wanted to memorize every detail and keep it forever inside my heart.
Her beautiful face. Her sweet little smile.

The calm expression she always wore. Her long eyelashes, still damp with tears, and her soft pink lips.

The lips I had missed for so many years. Without realizing it, I leaned closer.
Closer, and closer. Until only a few inches separated our faces.

That was when Amelia opened her eyes.
Our gazes met, and I lost control.

I pressed a kiss against her lips. Amelia startled and instinctively pulled her head back.

But I quickly cradled the back of her neck with my left hand. My right hand gently stroked her jaw.
Unable to hold myself back, I kissed her with all the longing I had buried for years.

My hand slowly caressed her cheek and neck as I tried to draw her into the moment, and my woman... She didn't resist.

Though she didn't return the kiss either, she simply remained still. Yet even that made me happier than I could describe. Her quiet surrender only made it harder for me to let her go.

Until finally, I felt her hands gently pushing against my chest.

Reluctantly, I broke the kiss.

Amelia immediately took a deep breath. A faint smile appeared on my lips.

My hand returned to her cheek. "Sorry. I lost control," I murmured.

"Hmm." Amelia only hummed softly before looking away.

Her face was as red as a ripe tomato.
And that made me smile without realizing it.

"Blow out the candles," I said again.

Amelia obeyed and blew out all five candles until the flames disappeared.

I cut the cake afterward. One slice for her. One slice for me.

Then silence returned. Only the sounds of our breathing and the clinking of utensils could be heard.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat. "Where did you go with Ezra today?"

I smiled when Amelia looked at me.

"Just to Uncle Jordan's house," she answered.
Relief instantly washed over me.

So they had only gone to Uncle Jordan's house.

"What did you do there?" I asked again.

"Had lunch and talked."

I nodded slowly. "Next time, if you want to visit Uncle Jordan's house, tell me. I'll take you there."

"You're always busy," she said without looking at me, absentmindedly playing with her fork. "If possible, let them visit me."

I frowned immediately. "I never forbade them from seeing you."

Amelia looked confused as well "But Aunt Maura said she came here once and wasn't allowed inside."

"When?" Now I was the confused one. "Since I allowed my mother to visit, I've already told security that your parents were allowed to come too."

A sense of unease began creeping into me. Something wasn't right.

Amelia shrugged. "Maybe it was during the first few weeks I was here. There's no need to talk about it anymore. I saw them today."

It seemed she deliberately didn't want to make the issue bigger. Perhaps she didn't want me getting angry at the security staff.

"Yeah. Ezra already brought you there." My tone became slightly irritated.

Then I looked straight into her eyes. "What do you like about Ezra?"

I paused, unable to suppress the curiosity that had been bothering me for so long.

"What does Ezra have that I don't?" My eyes never left Amelia's face.